Function and Services

What We Do:

The primary mission of the Assessor's Office is preparing the Town's Grand List. In making the Grand List, the Assessor's Office "discovers," lists, and values all taxable and non-taxable real property, personal property and motor vehicles located within Woodstock.

Currently, the Assessor's Office consists of two full-time persons (an Assessor and Assistant Assessor) and a few volunteers from the community. In general, the Assessor's Office is responsible for the creation annually of the Grand List, determination of real estate values, assessment on a cost basis of personal property and motor vehicles, making necessary adjustments to assessments to reflect improvements and/or other changes, and administering various mandated and town-optioned tax benefit programs (more than seventy).

Real property assessments are made by computing 70% of the estimated market value of such property at the time of the last general valuation. The Assessor also places values on all motor vehicles (computed at 70% of the annual market value), using Department of Motor Vehicle information and NADA information. All other personal property is reevaluated annually. Assessors are required by CT law to revalue all real estate every five years.

The Assessor and the Assistant Assessor must be certified by the State of CT (Sec. 12-40a) and attend annual training.

Elderly/Totally Disabled Program: for homeowners and renters over the age of 65 (age 50 and older surviving spouses are also eligible) and persons with disabilities of any age. Persons meeting this program's requirements receive a tax credit up to a 50% reduction of their residential property tax.

Use-Value Program (also known as "490"): The present true and actual value of land classified as farm land pursuant to section 12-107c, as forest land pursuant to section 12-107d, or as open space land pursuant to section 12-107e shall be based upon its current use without regard to neighborhood land use of a more intensive nature, provided in no event shall the present true and actual value of open space land be less than it would be if such open space comprised a part of a tract or tracts of land classified as farm land. The present true and actual value of all other property shall be deemed by all assessors and board of assessment appeals to be the fair market value thereof and not its value at a forced or auction sale.

Freeze program: allows eligible homeowners (over the age of 60 or 50 for a surviving spouse) who applied for this program before May 15, 1980 to have their property tax benefits capped at 1986-1987 levels or $2,000 (whichever is greater.) The State reimburses at 100% for this program.

Farm Machinery: This exemption allows farmers up to $100,000 for machinery used exclusively in production agriculture.

Veteran's Exemption: for all honorably discharged veterans who served in wartime. This program has a basic benefit rate of $4,500 in assessment credits with a rather complex formula adding additional benefits for veterans with disability and with certain income issues.

Disability Exemption: for all non-military homeowners and totals $1,000. The State reimburses the town 100%.

Due to the data collected and worked with by the Assessor's Office (most of which is available to the public), it has become a primary information source for title insurance, business, attorneys, realtors, developers, property owners and the general public.